77/19. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5815 — Warning Against Taking Graves as Mosques
Al-Aksiya and Al-Khama'is
Hadith Warning Against Taking Graves as Places of Worship
Sahih Bukhari : 5815
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5815
حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، رضى الله عنهم قَالاَ لَمَّا نَزَلَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَفِقَ يَطْرَحُ خَمِيصَةً لَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ، فَإِذَا اغْتَمَّ كَشَفَهَا عَنْ وَجْهِهِ، فَقَالَ وَهْوَ كَذَلِكَ " لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ مَسَاجِدَ ". يُحَذِّرُ مَا صَنَعُوا.
`Aisha and `Abdullah bin `Abbas Narrated from:
When the disease of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got aggravated, he covered his face with a Khamisa, but when he became short of breath, he would remove it from his face and say, "It is like that! May Allah curse the Jews Christians because they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship." By that he warned his follower of imitating them, by doing that which they did.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5815, 5816In-book reference : Book 77, Hadith 33USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 72, Hadith 706
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5815
This hadith about graves as places of worship comes from the time when the Prophet’s illness became severe. Aisha and Abdullah bin Abbas reported that he covered his face with a Khamisa. When breathing became hard, he removed it and warned that the Jews and Christians had taken the graves of their prophets as places of worship. The narration itself says that he was warning his followers from imitating that action. The core message is direct: worship should not be built around the graves of prophets. The hadith is strong in wording, but our explanation should not add details not mentioned in the text. It is a clear warning given at a serious time.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave this warning during severe illness.
- He warned against taking prophets’ graves as places of worship.
- The report says this was to warn his followers from copying that action.
- The hadith connects worship practice with care and caution.
